Spreader and bridle for conductor wires



Nov. 27, 1962 A. T. FLOWER SPREADER AND BRIDLE FOR CONDUCTOR WIRES FiledApril 20, 1961 INVENIOR Alzcs-uaALoT. FLOWER ATTORNEY United StatesPatent 3,066,182 SPREADER AND BRlDLE FOR CGNDUCTOR WIRES ArchibaldThomas Flower, Glenside, Pa. (Queen St. and Ivy Hill Road, Philadelphia18, Pa.) Filed Apr. 20, 1961, Ser. No. 104,298 4 Claims. (Cl. 174-146)This invention relates to a spreader bar and bridle for electricconductor wires.

It is an object of the invention to provide a spreader composed ofsuperimposed bars having cooperating slots in their longitudinal edgesto receive conductor wires and a spring bridle connected to the bars andnormally moving the bars in opposite directions to retain the wires inthe slots.

A further object of the invention resides in connecting the legs of aspring bridle to a pair of superimposed spreader bars having slots intheir longitudinal edges to receive conductor Wires so that the legs ofthe bridle exert a spring tension on the bars to move the bars inopposite directions to position the slots to a non-registering relationto. retain the wires in the slots, said bars having means to receive andretain the legs of the bridle in expanded position when the bars aremoved to bring the slots in register for inserting or removing theconductor wires.

This invention is an improvement on the spreader bar disclosed in myco-pending application filed November 23, 1960, Serial No. 71,323.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent duringthe course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification and inwhich like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout thesame.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the spreader bar and bridle applied to aseries of conductor wires,

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of one side of the spreader,

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 of the opposite side of the spreader,

FIG. 4 is an end view of the spreader,

FIG. 5 is a section taken on line 5-5 of FIG. 2, and,

FIG. 6 is a section taken on line 6-6 of FIG. 2.

In the drawing, wherein for the purpose of illustration a preferredembodiment of the invention is shown, the numerals 5 and 6 denote a pairof elongated flat bars constructed of suitable insulation material suchas reinforced polyester glass fibre. The bars are disposed insuperimposed parallel relation and along the longitudinal edges of eachbar are a series of spaced lateral slots 7 and 8, with the intermediateslots 9 disposed in the edge of the bar opposite to that of the endslots but if desired all the slots may be formed in the same edge. Theslots 7 of bar 5 are L-shape with a branch 10 extending longitudinallyof the bar and the lower edge of the slots leading to the branches isbeveled, as at 11. By moving the bars longitudinally in oppositedirections the slots 7 and 8 may be brought into register for insertingthe conductor wires 12 and after inserting the wires movement of thebars in opposite directions will move the wires into the branches 10 ofthe slots 7 thus locking the wires in the branches against accidentaldisplacement.

The spreader bars are held in locking engagement with the conductorwires by a bridle 13 formed of spring wire bent to form a loop 14 anddiverging legs 15 with hooks 16 at their terminals adapted to engage inlongitudinal guide slots 17 and 18 formed in the bars 5 and 6 onopposite sides of the central slots 9. The guide slots in 7 assaiszPatented Nov. 27, 1962 'ice each bar are of difierent lengths and attheir outer ends are provided with diverging notches 19, with theshorter slot of each bar being opposite and in register with the longerslot of the other bar. One of the hooks 16 formed on the terminal of thelegs 15 of the bridle may be longer than the other hook, so it may beassembled on the ground and will not be displaced during erection of thespreader. With the hooks of the bridle legs engaged in the guide slotsof the bars 5 and 6, the spring legs exert a tension on the bars to movethe bar 5 upwardly while moving-the bar 6 downwardly thus moving theslots 7 and 8 into non-registering position as shown in FIG. 2. When itis desired to insert or remove the conductor Wires from the slots 7 and8, the bars 5 and 6 are moved longitudinally in opposite directionsuntil the notches 19 of the guide slots 17 and 18 register whereupon thehooks 16 of the bridle legs 15 are moved into the notches 19 therebyholding the bars with the slots 7 and 3 in register. Upon disengagingthe hooks from the notches 19, the tension of the spring legs of thebridle will move the bars to a locking position and prevent accidentaldisplacement of the conductor wires from the slots 7 and 8.

In erecting the spreader, the bars 5 and 6 are moved relative to eachother to bring the slots of the bars into register and then the hooks 16of the bridle legs are engaged in the notches 19 of the guide slots tohold the bars 5 and 6 against movement While inserting the conductorwires in the slots. After the wires are inserted in the slots, the hookson the ends of the bridle legs are moved from the notches 19 into theguide slots 17 and 18 and the spring tension of the bridle legs thenmoves the bars 5 and 6 in opposite directions to engage the wires in thebranch 10 of the slots 7 thereby locking the wires in position.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. A spreader bar for conductor wires comprising a pair of elongatedflat bars disposed in superimposed parallel relation, each bar having aseries of spaced lateral slots extending in the same direction andopening through an edge of the bar with the slots of one bar co-actingwith the slots of the other bar for receiving the conductor wires andhaving branches extending at an angle thereto for receiving theconductor wires when said bars are moved longitudinally in oppositedirections, a V-shaped bridle formed of spring metal extending laterallyfrom an edge of said bars, the legs of said bridle being expanded andconnected to said bars so that contraction of the legs will move saidbars in opposite directions to dispose the conductor wires in thebranches of the slots of one bar, and means formed in said barsco-acting with the legs of said bridle to hold the legs expanded andsaid bars against longitudinal movement when the slots of said bars arein register.

2. A spreader bar for conductor wires as described in claim 1 whereinthe legs of said bridle straddle said ars.

3. A spreader bar for conductor wires comprising a pair of elongatedfiat bars disposed in superimposed parallel relation, each bar having aseries of spaced lateral slots extending in the same direction andopening through an edge of the bar with the slots of one bar co-actingwith the slots of the other bar for receiving the conductor wires andhaving branches extending at an angle thereto for receiving theconductor wires when said bars are moved longitudinally in oppositedirections, a V-shaped bridle formed of spring ,metal extendinglaterally from an edge of said bars, hooks formed on the free ends ofthe legs of said bridle engaged in longitudinal guide slots formed insaid bars, the guide slots of each 3 4 bar being of unequal length withthe shorter slots in reg References Cited in the file of this patentister with the longer slots of the other bar whereby con- UNITED STATESPATENTS traction of the legs of said bridle will move said bars inopposite directions to dispose the conductor wires in the 2457435 1948branches of the lateral slots of one bar. 5 i g Hendnx 1957 4; Aspreader bar for conductor wires as described gggg g gt gz 3 1n claimwherein said guide slots are provlded Wl h 2,899,160 Sher et a1 Aug 11,1959 lateral notches adapted'to register to receive said hooks when saidbars are moved to bring said lateral slots into register whereby thelegs of said bridle are held expanded l0 FOREIGN PATENTS and the barslodged against movement; 775,828 Great Britain y 1957

